The present disclosure relates generally to a ballast tamper for manipulating track ballast under railroad ties and correcting alignment of railroad tracks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a railroad right of way maintenance system providing a ballast tamping machine being transportable on a highway and easily converted from road travel to rail travel.
Due to natural factors, such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, or seasonal ground shifting, as well as regular rail maintenance schedules, it is often necessary to correct the vertical and/or horizontal alignment of railroad tracks by manipulating the track ballast supporting railroad ties using a method known as tamping. Conventional tamping machines include vibrating elongate, rigid tamping arms, also referred to as tamping tools. The tamping tools are forced into the ballast, on each side of the railroad tie, and vibrate at a given frequency within the ballast. Such vibration, in addition to movement of the tamper tool work head causes movement of the ballast to support ties, and the corresponding track at a designated alignment, thereby leveling the railroad tracks.
However, conventional tamper machines are very heavy, long, and overly bulky for highway transportation. Further, even if the tamper machine can be transportable using, for example, a large trailer, special oversize permits and requirements are required by the U.S. Department of Transportation for carrying the tamper machine on a highway. Moreover, once the machine reaches its destination, a heavy-duty lifting machine, such as a crane, is needed to move the tamper onto the railway track for operation. Accordingly, the transportation of the conventional tamper machine is inconvenient and cumbersome, and incurs high shipping costs due to the difficulties in transporting.